Deadline: 1 March 2024
The S+T+ARTS = innovation at the nexus of Science, Technology, and the ARTS: STARTS is an initiative of the European Commission to foster alliances of technology and artistic practice to focus on people and projects that contribute to mastering the social, ecological, and economic challenges.
The STARTS Prize Africa will highlight and award regional best practices in the field through the launch of the African edition of the well-known STARTS Prize. The STARTS Prize has been a major contributor in building the foundations of a community interlinking artists, companies, scientists, researchers, and businesses.
The STARTS Prize Africa welcomes initiatives that strive towards a positive social, humanitarian, economic or political impact and promote a diverse and sustainable society. Embracing the powerful intersection of arts and technology, it supports endeavors that address the pressing issues of the continent and facilitate digital transformation within the creative sector.
Prize Information
- Prize Money: The STARTS Prize Africa prize money amounts to € 30.000 and will be distributed among:
- Grand Prize of € 15.000
- 5 Awards of Distinction each € 3.000
Award Ceremony and Symposium
- The winner of the STARTS Prize Africa Grand Prize makes a commitment to accept the award in person at the Award Ceremony and to present the work at the STARTS Prize Forum. Both will take place during the Ars Electronica Festival on September 4 – 8, 2024 in Linz, Austria. Groups and institutions are requested to nominate a representative to fulfill this commitment.
Eligibility Criteria
- The STARTS Prize Africa is not restricted to a particular genre or field. The competition is open to all forms of creative practices, be it music, performing and visual arts, film, animation, gaming, photography, VR and XR, design, fashion, architecture, journalism, art-science collaborations, citizen science initiatives, human-centered AI projects, social software, and many more.
- The competition is open to citizens and residents of all African countries, as well as legal entities registered on the continent.
- The competition is open to applications from natural persons (such as individual creatives, artists or other professionals), groups of natural persons, legal entities (such as startups, associations, research and higher education institutions, public bodies, NGOs, companies, and other legally established organizations), and groups of legal entities (such as research consortia).
- Community initiatives may be submitted only by an authorized representative. This may be an individual or an organization as specified above.
- Projects should not be older than two years or have to show a significant update or further development within the last two years.
- Initiatives consisting of or benefitting entities subject to EU sanctions are not eligible to apply.
For more information, visit EC.